Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.


Chapter 10: Hide and Seek

Elt, Primera, Lucas, and Akito made their way through the streets with the children cautiously following them. Elt positioned himself behind, to make sure that no one was following him and to ensure that the kids had someone protecting their backs.

They continued on, following Akito through the more populous areas in order to make sure that the Baphomet wouldn't have a window to attack them. Even still, the group remained cautious as they advanced through the streets. At this hour, there were few people out on the streets, but the deeper they got into the capital the more they saw.

Eventually, they reached the inner parts of the city. The distinction was made clear as soon as they passed through the walls that divided the two sections. Gone were the cramped, wooden, and dilapidated buildings of the slums. Replaced by glistening stone structures and spacious housings. These must be the lower nobility then, the higher nobility was usually found in the innermost section or had entire plots of land somewhere near the capital.

Either way, Elt's eyes somewhat furrowed at the sight. It showed him the disparity of their living conditions, just a few hundred steps away from his home were lavish houses and clean streets. Making his way through the district, he heard the multiple whispers of the townsfolk still active at this time.

He couldn't quite make it out, but he supposed it was only natural that there would be whispers about them.

He alone would be enough to cause whispers amongst the bystanders. Being a common soldier, he was a sight that not many within this area were accustomed to seeing despite the fact that he lived only a few hundred steps away.

Combine him with the fact that he was currently being accompanied by the hero Primera Concerto, an Inquisitor, and a group of children then the whispers would start crawling through the woodworks.

A simple glance from both Akito or Primera was enough to shut some of them up, but when one was snuffed out, another would pop up somewhere in the distance.

It was suffocating, being here was suffocating for him and yet he could only wonder how the rest of his group might feel.

"Ignore them," Akito began.

"They have nothing better to do than to measure dick sizes, their opinions don't matter." Akito joked slightly and grinned.

"It seems that no matter what the era, mankind would always find a way to squabble with one another," Lucas added as he looked around at the various houses.

That slightly alleviated the feeling in his chest, he gave a small smile and nodded in response before he turned to Primera. She was handling the whispers a lot better than he was, at least. Still, he was worried about her more than anyone else here. He's heard the rumors about her, nasty rumors born from the racism that permeated through Lescatie's very culture.

The group made their journey through the city, walking for a few more minutes before they finally reached the Inquisitorial HQ just around the borders of the innermost section of the city. Dubbed: Fortress Maxim. It was said that whoever entered it, would never leave..

When Elt first heard of it, he imagined a dark and dreary structure. Stone walls cover all sides, no windows to prevent escape, with all the doors are made of metal to ensure maximum security. He admitted that the real Fortress Maxim probably wasn't anything special, but he never expected it to look this… mundane.

It was big, certainly, but it didn't have the grandeur and flare that many of the similarly sized buildings in Lescatie had. It certainly did look like a Fortress, stone walls and all but it was lacking any sort of the iconography one would expect from the Inquisition's Headquarters.

"It looks…" Elt began,

"So…" Primera continued,

"Average, right?" Akito finished as he turned to the group.

"The Inquisition's main purpose is to ensure the survival of mankind. We don't need all that fancy shit that everyone else in Lescatie has. Most of our funding is tight, so we didn't have much to spend on decorating or anything like that... though, that's mostly because some Inquisitors would rather pocket the money." Akito explained as he walked toward the guards.

"That… makes sense, but… I thought it would at least look a little more…" Elt began as he followed behind Akito.

"Threatening? Yeah, we get that a lot. This might be surprising to learn, but we're not actively trying to scare the population." Akito started with a small smile before he turned to the guards.

Well, the Inquisition as a whole isn't actively trying to scare the population. It all depends on the Individual Inquisitor. Some of them, including Akito, use fear as a tool in their investigations. Others prefer to smooth talk and bribe information out of their clients. Others use a network of informants and connections in order to have eyes and ears everywhere.

Moving towards the guards, Akito looked on with a shit-eating grin before he spoke up.

"Yo, how ya doing Clyde? I heard you've been promoted to commander." Akito stated as he turned to one of the two guards stationed at the main entrance.

"It's captain, Inquisitor Akito… and uh… just to inform you but Inquisitor Rylan's asking where you've been," Clyde stated.

"Damn, Rylan was worried about me? Seems out of character for him, what's the catch?" Akito asked, crossing his arms and leaning on one leg.

"He's also asking how much property damage you've inflicted while you were out snooping," Clyde muttered with a blank look, causing Akito to somewhat choke on his spit before he recovered and placed a hand over his mouth before he spoke in a muffled voice.

"Cough Cough, whoops, looks like I accidentally caught the fever and won't be able to tell you how much I destroyed." Akito muttered somewhat nervously, causing the group behind him to give their own deadpanned looks.

"...Right… So, who are those, then?" Clyde asked, his head turning to the group behind Akito. His eyes widened at Primera before he turned to Akito.

"...Is that… who I think it is?" Clyde muttered, trying to find the right words to say.

"Yep, don't question it though unless you want an arrow to the knee," Akito noted with a wry grin, much to Primera's chagrin.

"In any case, they're all witnesses under my protection. Let them all in, and give them a nice room to stay in." Akito started with a grin before Clyde just sighed and ordered the guards to open the gate.

"Alrighty then, a few words of advice first," Akito stated, turning to the group before he spoke up.

"First off, try not to initiate eye contact with any of the Inquisitors you see. Secondly, lower levels are off-limits. Thirdly, if you see an Inquisitor with blonde hair and green eyes, just stay the fuck away. For your own good." Akito noted as he looked on at the group.

The group just stood there, nodding somewhat dumbly as Akito gave out his ground rules. The first two were somewhat understandable, but the third one was just bizarre. To single out an Inquisitor like that was kind of bizarre to them all.

"Then without further ado," Akito muttered as he fixed his clothes before he entered the building with a slightly confident strut.


"..." Rylan Rudy Schreiber honestly had no idea what was going on. Akito disappeared one day and left a note saying that he was off investigating their little soldier. He didn't come back until a day later with the said soldier with him… along with the hero Primera and over 30 kids.

That garnered some looks from his fellow Inquisitors and other staff while they walked through the halls of Fortress Maxim, that was for sure. And so here they were, sitting in one of the meeting rooms with Akito sitting opposite to himself. The kids themselves were scattered around the room, sitting in their own spots while Elt and Primera remained standing, the latter having her arms crossed.

"...Do I even need to ask you to explain yourself?" Rylan asked with a raised brow. Here they were, sitting in one of the rooms large enough to hold around 30 occupants. It also just so happened to be one of the lounge rooms. Akito just scratched his neck with a slightly sheepish look before he spoke up.

"It's a long story, but to cut it short let's just say that I managed to encounter the monster we've been looking for, but before that, I need to place the kids under witness protection," Akito stated as he sat on one of the couches and rested his feet on the table.

"I see, did you do the proper paperwork and background checks?" Rylan asked. Though, he honestly already knew the answer to that question. He just wanted to see if Akito would surprise him.

Akito just sat there, giving him another smirk, though this one was a little strained before he spoke up. "Well, between you and me… you're a lot better with paperwork and background checks so…"

Ah, how typical…

Rylan just sighed before he nodded. It shouldn't be too hard, with them all being kids and all that. Only the most basic information would be required such as the name, age, and guardian.

As for where they'd stay, he already had one in mind. This was the best place to place the kids if you ask Rylan. Big enough to fit them all in, with an empty guest room just by the hall with a few beds for them to sleep in. As long as they don't bother the other Inquisitors, then they should be fine. He'll have one of his subordinates take over looking after the kids.

"Knew I could count on you," Akito said with a small cheeky smile, one that Rylan returned with a blank look.

"If only I could say the same about you." Rylan blankly stated before he shook his head. Onto the more important matters first.

"In any case, I understand why Elt's here, but why Primera?" He asked, turning to Elt and Primera.

"Let's just say that I cut a deal with them, these three are gonna help us with the case." Akito stated with a wry look on his face as he gestured to Elt, Primera, and Lucas. One by one, they gave their own little introductions.

"A-A pleasure to meet you."

"I only agreed to this for the kids. Don't think that I won't gut you if anything happens to them, human."

"What is that strange scent…"

Rylan's brow rose once more, especially at the fact that one of the 3 people Akito gestured to was one of the kids he brought in. Looking at the boy, he shouldn't be older than 12, and aside from Mimil Miltie, he wasn't sure if there were any 12-year-olds who could possibly aid him.

"Trust me on this one, but that kid is a beast when it comes to magic," Akito reassured as he patted the kid on the head.

"How rude, I'd rather not be compared to a beast by someone with a primitive mind like yourself," Lucas grumbled, moving his head out of the way before swinging a hand at Akito who stepped back in response.

Akito just grinned at that before he turned to Rylan. Rylan still remained unconvinced, but he knew that Akito wasn't the type to bring people in unless he knew that they were capable. Still… to hire a child of all people.

"Even if he is, hiring a child is just…" Rylan began before Lucas cut him off.

"He did not hire me, I came here by my own volition," Lucas stated. He didn't come here to serve Akito, or to even help with defeating the Baphomet. He came here to keep the Tarnished safe, to ensure that no harm comes to him until his memories finally return in full.

"Even so, I can't let a child endanger himself like this," Rylan argued back, at which Lucas furrowed his brows before he spoke up.

"You will find that I am no mere child, Inquisitor. If you want a demonstration then I can show you the clear distinction between our abilities." Lucas argued back, gripping his staff tightly as it glowed blue.

"Alright kid, that's enough. We don't want you blowing up HQ so if we can just calm down." Akito stated, Lucas looked on at him with narrowed eyes before he stepped back and loosened his grip on his staff. This wasn't worth causing a scene over, especially if it might trouble the Tarnished.

Elt meanwhile just stood there as this all unfolded, unsure of what to do or say in this situation. He was nervous, of course he was, he was at the heart of the Inquisition and while he had apparent protection, it didn't make him feel any safer.

"I hope that this was enough to show you my capabilities," Lucas muttered.

"I guess so, in any case, onto the more important matter. You said that you encountered the monster?" Rylan asked. Akito's face morphed into something more serious, he looked at Rylan sternly before he spoke up.

"We did… and… it might be a lot worse than we thought," Akito muttered.

Rylan raised his brow, his face became a little more serious as he beckoned for Akito to continue.

"I'll cut to the chase, we encountered a Baphomet."

Rylan's eyes widened. A Baphomet, a Goddamned Baphomet!? Out of all the monsters, they were one of the most feared and for good reason. No one, be it hero or otherwise has ever defeated one in combat. The fact that they managed to survive that encounter was a miracle.

"A-Are you sure?" Rylan asked.

"I wouldn't be sitting here, telling you if I wasn't sure. We saw a Baphomet and all of them can vouch for it." Akito noted, turning to Elt and Primera who just nodded in response.

"...I see… I need to report this to the higher-ups." Rylan thought, they needed to deal with this Baphomet as soon as possible. Leaving her in Lescatie could be disastrous to both the city and its reputation. Rylan had no doubts that if he reported this to the higher-ups then they'd also be concerned. Mostly due to how damaging it could be to their reputation if they left such a Baphomet be.

"You will do no such thing," Lucas stated. His eyes turned to Rylan as he spoke.

Rylan narrowed his eyes at that. This child… who was he to order him? He was just a kid, he didn't understand the severity of the situation.

"And why not? You do realize that a Baphomet could be an existential threat to Lescatie itself?" Rylan asked, his brow-raising once more as he spoke up.

"Telling your superiors about the Baphomet could be an existential threat to the red-haired one. That I cannot allow, and as such you will do no such thing." Lucas argued. Telling the higher-ups could lead more people to Elt, and if that happened then more would learn of his true nature. It was unwanted attention, one that could endanger his life especially since he has yet to unlock his latent powers.

"The… red-haired one?" Rylan asked, his eyes turning to Elt who looked even more nervous about the whole affair.

"And why is he more important to you than an entire nation?" Rylan asked.

"I am in no obligation to tell you," Lucas stated, his blue eyes narrowing as he did.

"And I'm not obligated to listen…" Rylan argued back, his voice rising as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then I will have to silence you myself…" Lucas stated, his eyes mirroring Rylan's own as his staff glowed once more.

"Alright… stop, please… I don't want you two to fight here in front of the kids." Elt suddenly stated, stepping forward as he did. Lucas and Rylan's eyes both looked on at him, their gazes still narrowed. Elt yelped a bit at that, but he stood his ground and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about him, he's lived a sheltered life so he doesn't really understand how the world works…" Elt muttered with a nervous laugh, which just caused Rylan's brow to raise and Lucas to tilt his head in confusion. He then took a deep breath, looking down on the ground before his eyes met with Rylan once more.

"But… if possible, can you not tell anyone else about us, at least? When you report to the higher-ups, that is… You can still talk about the Baphomet but… leave us and the Orphanage out of it…" Elt muttered nervously, sweat dripping down his brow as his blue eyes looked at Rylan.

Rylan just looked on at Elt before he sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but if I tell them about the Baphomet then they'd ask for more information. They're going to find something out about you, whether I tell them or not." Rylan stated.

Elt just looked dejected after that, his eyes looking down at the ground before he had an idea. A stupid, reckless, ridiculously suicidal idea but an idea nonetheless.

"What if there was no need to tell the Higher-ups?" He asked, his blue eyes turning to Rylan as he placed his palms on the table.

Rylan's eyes widened at that, and so did Akito's. They both looked on at each other in confusion before they turned to Elt. Primera's attention was also now squarely on him, her eyes widening at what he just said.

"And… What do you propose we do?" Rylan asked.

Elt paused for a second, wondering if this was a good idea or not before he sighed. There was no other way, it was either this or have the entire Inquisition on his ass. It would trouble everyone who associates with him, and in the worst cases, it could even cause a few heads to roll.

"We take the Baphomet down ourselves, that way we wouldn't need to tell the Higher-ups," Elt suggested, which just caused the entire room's eyes to widen. That… was an incredibly stupid suggestion that gave mixed reactions throughout the room.

"...No, No… what? Do you honestly think that you, a normal soldier, would be able to take on a Baphomet?" Rylan asked incredulously. At that did Elt pause… he was right, the last time they took one on they were hopelessly outmatched. What hope could they have to deal with them now?

"He'll have a Hero with him," Primera added, speaking up as she looked on at the Inquisitors. At that did Rylan sigh before he placed his palm over his face.

"It's not just about strength, finding a Baphomet requires information, planning, strategizing, and an army of informants. It's not the type of thing a normal regular soldier and a hero who spends most of her time in the forest can easily access." Rylan stated, his tone becoming more firm.

"True… but it is something an Inquisitor could." Akito butted in.

"...You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?" Rylan asked. No, there was no way he could be suggesting that. Just absolutely no way.

"Yes, I'd say that we should make him a temporary Junior Inquisitor," Akito noted with a grin.

He was, he was suggesting that... dammit.

Junior Inquisitors were not official members of the Inquisition. In essence, they're basically cadets in training supervised by an official Inquisitor who can override their orders if it proves to be too damaging.

"...All for a single case?" Rylan muttered with a single eye raised.

"Why not? If he fails then we just go with your plan. There's little risk involved and being a Junior Inquisitor he won't have access to our archives." Akito argued.

"Little Risk? Didn't you tell me that we're dealing with a Baphomet? Do you realize how much damage a single Baphomet could do if left alone?" Rylan argued.

No, he was not having this. It was too risky and the stakes were too high. He had to admit, Elt had the guts but he didn't think that he was capable. Matching a hero is one thing, pouring in the resources and information required to take down a Baphomet is another matter entirely. He can give Elt his sympathy, but he can't give him any respite.

"No, alright. I'm sorry but there's too much to risk." Rylan stated, his eyes furrowing before he gave a sympathetic look to Elt. Elt just stood there, his face morphing into a more difficult expression before he stepped back. This was it, it was over… there was nothing else they could do.

"Give us one week." Lucas suddenly started, causing the entire room to turn his attention to him in shock.

Rylan just looked on at the child before he furrowed his brows. No amount of threats from Lucas would deter him. As a faithful follower of the order, he was prepared to die if it meant protecting Lescatie.

"I told you, there's too much to risk. Threatening me won't work, and doing so could land you in serious trouble, child." Rylan started with narrowed eyes.

At that, Lucas just smirked before he spoke up.

"You underestimate the red-haired one's capabilities. You have no clue how much he has been through and what he is capable of." Lucas stated.

Elt was the Tarnished, the man who conquered the Gods and brought forth a new age. His ability was far greater than anyone here, that much Lucas believed. And this ability did not come from his latent powers, no… it came from the desire to protect those he loved, to return back to the ones he fought the gods for to begin with.

"But… mere words would not be enough to convince you, so how about we negotiate?" Lucas muttered, walking forward and walking in front of Rylan.

"Give us a week… and I will show you a method in preventing monsterization," Lucas stated, his eyes narrowing as Rylan's and the rest of the room's own widened.

That… that was impossible, no… this child has to be lying. No one and he meant no one had ever found a method in removing demonic energy from one's body.

"Listen kid, l'm not in the mood for games." Rylan stated, his eyes narrowing before Akito cut in.

"He's not lying, Rylan. I've seen him do it to Elt over here." Akito stated.

That just caused Rylan's eyes to widen further. Hearing it from this child is one thing, but hearing it from his partner was another. For all that time they spent together, Rylan learned that Akito never lied when he spoke seriously. With that tone of voice, this meant that this kid perhaps really did have a method in curing Demonic Energy.

"What's the catch?" He asked.

"It would leave you with a small burn, and it won't be able to turn monsters back to humans," Lucas answered.

Flame, Cleanse Me wasn't really an advanced Incantation all things considered. It burnt away all the impurities within one's body. Created by the Fire Monks, the only caveat to Flame, Cleanse Me was that it left you with a burn. A reminder to be wary when using the flame, but it was also a very convenient spell.

He would teach them how to do it, not that they ever could without a sacred seal. That was the entire catch to all of this, it wasn't something that they would be able to cast.

Rylan pondered this, such a method could save the lives of thousands. But… was it really worth the risk of letting a Baphomet roam free for a week? He pondered on this choice, but in order to decide, he turned to Elt.

"Kid… swear to me that you'll be able to take care of the Baphomet in a week." He muttered.

Elt looked on at Rylan with a conflicted expression. Even though he wasn't entirely sure if he'd be able to do it, the risks were high but they had no real choice in the matter. He gritted his teeth, reminding himself that he was doing this for their sake so that they won't be worried. His expression became stern, serious but with determination burning beneath his blue eyes.

Turning to Rylan, he stared straight into his eye before he spoke up.

"I swear, we'll take this Baphomet out in a week," Elt stated with conviction in his voice, enough to leave Rylan stunned. Collecting his bearings, Rylan cupped his chin before he spoke up.

He was probably going to regret this, but he found himself convinced.

"...Alright… fine, you have one week," Rylan stated.

That caused everyone's eyes to widen. It was a difficult task, but one that they had no choice in doing. Rylan will hold this information off for a while, possibly even risking his life for it. But if it's to find a method to stop monsterization, he'll take it.

"...thank you, I promise that we won't let you down," Elt stated. One week, just one week to deal with the Baphomet, one week or else Lescatie would know and his life would be forever changed.

"...Alright. Akito, you'll be their handler." Rylan spoke up.

"Understood," Akito muttered with a wry grin and a salute. Looking on at Elt, Primera, and Lucas.

"Alright then, Junior Inquisitor…" Akito stated, his eyes narrowing as his grin became more vicious.

"Let's go hunt down a goat."


Sasha Fullmoon stood in front of her broken orphanage. Her eyes widened at the sight, and quickly she ran in to check on Elt, Primera and the kids.

"Elt! Primera! Lisia!? Emiyu!?-" She yelled out as she searched frantically for any sign of them. She checked their rooms, the cellar, and the altar, but she found nothing. Finding herself by the Altar of the Chief God, she took a few steps back as she looked up at the sight. She grits her teeth as she spoke up, fed up with everything that she's been through under her service.

"What!? Is this my punishment for doubting you!? For ever questioning you!? If you want someone to punish, punish me! Not Elt, not Primera, not the kids! Me… please… I don't want to lose them too… where are they?" She muttered out loud as tears started to form in her eyes.

"She won't answer you." A voice spoke up, turning her head she was met with the familiar sight of a goat-horned individual. Her red eyes looked on at her with pity. Her scythe was nowhere to be found, and she herself was lying on what could only be described as a floating cloud of dark matter.

"She hadn't answered you before, she won't do it now…" she muttered, her paws tracing the walls as she made her way to Sasha, getting off the cloud as she moved.

"I have the answers you seek, not your so-called caring god." She spoke up with a slight grin, and Sasha leveled at her with a glare.

"I must admit though… I probably should've been more careful with bringing Mr. Hero in." She spoke with a huff as she shook her head.

"Mr… Hero… wait, did you cause this?" Sasha asked, her eyes widening as she looked on at the Baphomet who just shrugged.

"You really are a smart girl, Sasha-chan! No wonder she took an interest in you~" The Baphomet started with a lecherous grin as she reached Sasha's form.

"She?" Sasha asked with one brow raised before Kuroferuru waved her off.

"Not important, but she's the reason I'm not allowed to touch you. Such a shame… you would've been a perfect fit for my Sabbath." The Baphomet spoke up with a sigh before she shook her head and turned to Sasha.

Sasha just blinked at that, she would've questioned it further were it not for the elephant in the room. The kids, where the hell were the kids?

"Where are they?" She asked, her voice rising as she turned to the Baphomet.

"Hmm… if by my calculations, they should be somewhere relatively safe." Kuroferuru stated. She knew exactly where they were, exactly where she wanted them to be.

"No, I need to know where they are." Sasha pushed on. She might anger the Baphomet by doing so but she didn't care. The lives of those children, of Elt and Primera mattered far more than herself.

"Are you sure? You're probably not gonna like the answer…" The Baphomet trailed off, giving a sheepish look.

"Where. Are. They?" She emphasized this time, her eyes furrowing into a glare. She didn't care if she wouldn't like the answer, she'd rather not be left in the dark if it concerned the people she loved and cared for.

"...Alright then…" The Baphomet muttered with a shrug. Pausing, she snapped her paws before a small mirror appeared in front of her. "It's a little low quality, but I had to lower the magic used to remain undetected… but this should give you a good idea," Kuroferuru stated, handing the mirror over to her. Curious, she peered inside before she suddenly widened her eyes and dropped the mirror in shock.

The Mirror fell to the ground, shattering into pieces before some of the pieces evaporated into the air. The Baphomet grumbled at the act, muttering something about how expensive the mirrors were but Sasha didn't care.

Perhaps out of everyone else in Lescatie, she had the most to hide. Being a hero, she held the expectations of an entire nation. But beneath her heroic visage lay a girl who would aid the monsters. Someone who would scorn the teachings that she herself preached in public.

Because of this, the one threat that she had to watch out for the most wasn't the monsters, it wasn't her fellow heroes nor was it even the Noscrim Faction. No, her biggest possible threat was The Inquisition.

Hiding from them was not an easy feat, they had eyes and ears everywhere in the city and their reach was years, she cleverly evaded them. Using her kindly nature and heroic visage as a method to keep them ignorant.

But now, everything would come crashing down. As she peered into the mirror, she saw that Elt, Primera, and the kids were all gathered with two Inquisitors in the room. She suspected where they were currently held, but she sincerely hoped that it wasn't the case. Alas, her fears would be proven the moment the Baphomet opened her mouth.

"They're in Fortress Maxim, a strange name I have to admit. It was one of the old Noble Families that went extinct after they launched a coup to try and overthrow the monarchy. Now they're all just bodies buried six feet underground." She muttered with a huff and a small grin.

"Why are they with the Inquisition?" Sasha asked, her voice laced with desperation, sorrow, and anger. Kuroferuru felt kind of sorry for her, it must be confusing for her all things considered. She'll admit, she was at fault for this… she was often one who would turn mistakes into an opportunity.

"I admit, I might've had something to do with that. I suppose I just got a little careless when I came here and tried to give a friendly introduction to your little Orphanage." She stated, causing Sasha to frown.

"What happened here, exactly?" Sasha asked, her brow raising as a frown made its way to her face.

"Well, under my Mistress' orders I was to investigate and learn everything I can about a certain little knight~" she muttered, walking towards one of the shelves before she took a small drawing of the orphanage's inhabitants. It was probably drawn by one of the kids and placed here. She traced her paw over a certain red-haired soldier in the image.

"A knight?" Sasha asked before her eyes widened in realization. There was only one person to who she could be referring to. Despite being heroes, neither she nor Primera would ever be notably compared to the traditional knight.

"What does Elt have to do with any of this?" Sasha asked, she didn't know why the Baphomet took an interest in Elt of all people. As far as she was concerned, he was just an ordinary soldier. A hardworking, earnest, and kind soldier but a soldier nonetheless.

"Everything, he's the main reason why I'm here," Kuroferuru muttered, her paws lazily trailing the image before she placed it back to where it was. She turned to the altar of the Chief God, her face morphing into an even wider grin before she spoke up once more.

"Well… more accurately, I was gonna be here regardless. But in this instance, he's my main priority." The Baphomet continued.

Sasha's eyes narrowed at that, there was only one real reason she could think of as to why she wanted Elt.

"Why? Are you trying to make him your husband?" She asked incredulously. Monsters desired companionship above all else, it was hardwired into their minds the moment the succubi took the reins of Demon Lord from the old. Contrary to her expectations, however, Kuroferuru merely rolled her eyes and waved the thought away.

"I can see why many would desire him as their husband, but no. For some strange reason, despite my curiosity and interest he simply doesn't make me feel… any sort of attraction whatsoever." Kuroferuru muttered with narrowed eyes.

It was strange, throughout their entire game not once did she even feel an ounce of desire towards him. Curiosity? Sure, but the desire to make him hers wasn't present at all. It was a strange phenomenon, almost like he exists on a foreign plane beyond the desires of monsters.

That caught Sasha off-guard. A monster would often have a built-in attraction toward every male no matter who they were. For her to be uninterested in Elt, at least in terms of companionship, was a strange thought indeed.

"So… why are you after him then?" Sasha asked, cautious in her tone but curiosity laced within.

"Because of that precise reason. He's an oddity, a man capable of taking me on with a strength that could match the heroes… without being one himself." The Baphomet muttered as she moved to one of the chairs and sat on it, using the dark matter to help her up before she sat on the backrest with crossed hooves.

Out of everyone Kuroferuru has faced, those three were one of the more difficult ones to deal with. Usually, it only took a bit of effort on her part to beat some of the strongest of heroes. Granted, she was not using her full strength at that time but managing to evade her was still an achievement that few had ever accomplished. Stabbing her, even less so. And not to forget the boy who fought her to a standstill after she had them pinned, her little game with him was the one where she was pushed a little more.

That Lucas boy interested her more than Elt, to be honest, but priorities are priorities, and her mistress' desires were far more important to her than any idle curiousity. That being said, his brand of sorceries was one that she had never seen before in her entire life. And not onky that he held both the strength and potential to challenge her using it. Such an interesting child he was, and for him to be able to fight her on relatively equally while she was holding back was just icing on the cake.

Perhaps she'd claim him the moment they conquered the city, after all, she was allowed to bask in its glory as well.

That statement caused Sasha's eyes to widen. What did she mean by that? A Baphomet wasn't a creature to take lightly, she knew this fact well. It was said that none have ever survived an encounter with one before, though from what she knew it was hyperbole on the part of the speakers. Even still, with such a reputation she knew that they were a force beyond what a normal soldier should be capable of.

"W-what do you mean by that? Elt fought you and held his own?" Sasha asked.

"Well he didn't do it alone, he had help from a little elf and an Inquisitor… along with that, there was also someone else…" she trailed off.

"This wasn't part of our deal," Sasha muttered.

The Baphomet could only raise a pitiful gaze. She felt bad, of course, she did. This was all on her, after all. Still, her priorities remained and so she'd use this situation to her advantage.

"I admit, I made a bit of a mistake… but I will assure you on this front, as long as I'm here the children will not get hurt." The Baphomet reassured, and she fully intended that to be the case.

"And as for Elt, he's a lot more capable than you can imagine." The Baphomet continued on as she made a cup with a drink appear in her hands before she began to sip on it. Sasha's eyes narrowed, causing the Baphomet to offer her some of it.

"Holstaur Milk? No? You're missing out~" She muttered with a teasing grin. Sasha just frowned at that, unamused at the sight of the Baphomet being all nonchalant about all of this.

"Alright, fine. I was just teasing you, Sasha-chan." Kuroferuru muttered with a huff as she got up and stepped down onto the ground. She stretched her paws as she looked out the window. It was getting bright, indicating that morning was soon to come.

"Tell me…" Sasha started, her voice is soft yet stern.

"Hmm?" The Baphomet hummed, a single goat ear raising as she listened in on Sasha.

"Tell me, how are you planning on keeping the children safe?" Sasha asked, her voice incredulous and demanding. A far cry from her usual kindly nature.

The Baphomet just grinned, her fangs showing as she summoned her scythe. Spinning it around, she stabbed it onto the floor before a magic circle formed just below her. The room was illuminated by a purple glow. She placed a paw over her mouth, leaning forward to regard Sasha before she poke up.

"That… is my little secret~" she stated with a grin. She did indeed have a plan just in case the children's lives were at stake. And that plan was quite simple, do absolutely nothing.

She's done her research, and she knew that she was being investigated the moment she entered the capital. The two Inquisitors who were after her, Rylan Rudy Schreiber and Akito Shion, weren't the type to use children as leverage. As such, she knew that the kids were in good hands, and no other Inquisitor could really touch them unless one of the higher-ups interfered.

Worst comes to worst, she could always just give Fortress Maxim a visit. Sure, it could alert the entire city to her presence but if it meant keeping the kids safe then she'd do it in a heartbeat.

She felt kind of bad, she was essentially playing with Sasha's emotions for her and her mistress' own gain. If she believed that the kids were in danger, then she would have no choice but to stick with her. If Sasha sold her out for the kids, then the monsters in the Orphanage would be under threat by the looming hands of the Inquisition.

In other words, the best possible outcome was only possible through Kuroferuru alone. Any other choice would threaten either the kids here or the kids in the forest. This was a fact that Sasha knew too well.

"I don't trust that…" Sasha muttered.

"Well, you don't really have much of a choice." Kuroferuru retorted, which caused Sasha to purse her lips.

Seeing this, Kuroferuru gave a sympathetic look before she placed a paw over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sasha-chan. As long as I'm here then you won't have to worry about a thing." Kuroferuru reassured before her mouth morphed to a smirk.

She turned to one of the shards of her now broken mirror. Looking at it, she could faintly see Elt negotiating with Rylan and Akito leaving him out of the room.

'Well… I guess this means the game's begun.' She thought with a more dangerous grin. Looks like there was no need for her to come to them, they were willingly throwing themselves at her.

Now, it would be easy for her to just confront them and take them while they weren't looking as they searched… but where was the fun in that? Above all else, she valued her own enjoyment over any practicality.

As such, she'll play their little game and make herself scarce. If they couldn't find her within a week then… it would be her turn to be the seeker.

A game of hide and seek, winner takes all. She grinned at the prospect, a fun little game to satiate her desires and relieve her boredom.

Let the hunt begin.


"Are you done?" Primera questioned, her form standing opposite a set of doors with her arms crossed.

"Almost… how do you guys put this on almost every day, the collar's ridiculously tight." Another voice muttered, this one belonging to the Red-haired knight and now Temporary Junior Inquisitor.

"Fitting, isn't it? We're called the Chief God's dogs after all." Akito jokes, the brown-haired Inquisitor leaning on the wall as he waited for Elt to finish changing.

"Yeah, but at least make it so that I'm able to breathe through this thing," Elt muttered once again.

"I suggest you finish with great haste, we need to begin searching as soon as possible," Lucas spoke up, his form standing upright and his hands on his back.

"Are the clothes really necessary? Can't I just go do the investigation with my regular clothes and armor?" Elt questioned. He didn't really find the use in it. To him it was just another set of clothes. Sure, it looked cleaner and was more professional looking but he honestly preferred the simplicity of his tunic and cloak.

"Nope. If you're gonna act as an Inquisitor, you gotta look the part. Or else people won't ever take you seriously." Akito argued. There was a point to his statement. For lack of a better term, the Inquisitor's uniform was another form of intimidation. The mere sight of it put fear into the hearts of many people within Lescatie.

"...Alright… I think I'm done." Elt muttered, his form opening the door that led to the wardrobe before he stepped out.

The sight made Primera blush, made Lucas raise his brow, and made Akito laugh slightly.

It also made Elt want to die, for right now Elt was wearing the Inquisition's uniform. Well, a slightly modified version of it. He was instructed to bathe first before he wore it, mostly since Inquisitors were expected to look their cleanest in public for as much as they could. They weren't heroes, but they still had an image to uphold. Even if he wasn't an official one, and even if it was temporary he was instructed to look the part.

And so here he was a black coat over a dress shirt and vest. A modified version of the crucifix that usually hung around his neck to signify that he was just a Junior Inquisitor. His hair was combed, parting at his left and all the dirt on his face had been cleaned off. Overall, he actually looked pretty good all things considered.

"Whistle, not gonna lie. Clean out all that dirt and grime and you actually look pretty good." Akito muttered with a grin.

"Of course he does, I expect nothing less from my Lord," Lucas added. He expected nothing less from the man who was his lady's consort. After all, if he looked any less then he would've completely rearranged his face to be more in line with his own standards.

Primera remained silent, trying her best to avert her gaze while also stealing a few glances here and there.

Elt just shook his head. He didn't really get the point of all of this, he wasn't even going to remain an Inquisitor after one week. He walked off before he looked at Akito and spoke up.

"Alright, I got changed and did what you asked. What do we do now?" Elt asked, turning to Akito who just shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Why are you asking me, 'Inquisitor'? My only purpose here is to make sure you don't screw up too badly. The actual investigating part would be up to you three." Akito started with a smug grin, which caused Elt to furrow his brow and drop his hands to the side.

"...Are you always this much of an asshole?" Elt asked.

"Every day of the week, yes," Akito answered, a smug grin on his face as he stifled another laugh.

Seeing the conversation go nowhere, Lucas decided to speak up. They only had a week, and their target was a creature powerful enough to take all of them without fail. There was little time to waste and with Elt's memories sealed he won't be able to properly take charge. In that case, he would do so instead.

"I… would suggest learning as much as we can about the creature first. You called her a Baphomet, yes? Do you perhaps have an archive that we can look into for information?" Lucas asked.

They had a few bits of information. First, they were looking for a Baphomet. Secondly, her name was Kuroferuru. Thirdly, she was absurdly powerful. They needed to plan around the last part, at the state they were in there was simply no way they could defeat her head-on.

"Unfortunately, you don't have access to our archives…" Akito muttered. Junior Inquisitors aren't allowed the ability to look into the Inquisition's compiled information. After all, they weren't real Inquisitors and if they dropped out then they could use the information they gained as leverage.

"But… I do know of something that might have the information you need." Akito continued, causing Elt, Lucas, and Primera's brows to raise.


"This is…" Elt began, looking at the book that his group was currently surrounding.

"Are… are we really allowed to read this?" Primera asked, her brow widened as she turned to the book.

"If I remember correctly, so much as touching this book could get you killed," Lucas added, crossing his arms as he looked down at the book.

"Relax, as far as the Inquisition's concerned you're just inspecting contraband material," Akito muttered with a shrug.

The group currently stood in a room, locked behind a gate and guarded by two knights. It was the place where contraband materials are stored and used as evidence. Each Material was sorted on whether or not they were dangerous. The ones that could cause monsterization were always destroyed immediately and the rest are stored here where their fates were decided by the inquisition.

Junior Inquisitors were allowed access to this room as long as their handlers allowed them. But they weren't allowed to take anything out, which is why Lucas brought with him a quill and paper.

Right now, they stood before a certain book. One of the many books that could ever get you killed if you so much as own one.

The Monster Girl Encyclopedia.

"So-uh... we won't get killed if we read this?" Primera asked, brow raised and arms crossed.

"As I said, you're just 'inspecting' contraband material," Akito started with a wink. None of the 3 were amused by this act.

"If I find out that this is a trick and that we had inadvertently marked ourselves for death, I will destroy you first." Lucas threatened. Akito just shrugged at that and gave a small sweatdrop. He knew not to mess with the kid but the way he talks was kind of funny to him.

"...Well… if… if we're allowed to… I guess we should get reading." Elt suggested, taking a deep breath before he opened the book.

Quickly, the group tried to find the section that contained the Baphomet. They didn't want to waste their time looking at unrelated subjects, partially because they had no time to waste and mostly because most of what's in the book… well… it wasn't exactly safe for kids.

"Baphomet… Baphomet… Baphomet… Ah, here." Elt muttered as they finally reached the section with the Baphomet.

"A-alright… Let's get to reading…" Lucas muttered. For the first time in his life, Lucas didn't want to learn about what was in this book. He had skimmed through some of the pages as they looked for the section with the Baphomet, and most of it had disgusted him beyond anything he's ever read. Even still, he wrote down the information without fail. After all, knowledge, no matter what kind, is still knowledge.

And so, they read…

"...They serve as leaders to the pagan cult known as the Sabbath… a cult that… a cult that what?" Elt muttered out loud in confusion, unable to believe what he was currently reading.

"The Sabbath they lead has the following creed: 'know the depravity and charm of little girls'... what the fuck am I reading?" Primera continued, her ears drooping and eyes narrowing in disgust.

"...Baphomets are known to have the most amazing… I am not finishing that sentence." Lucas finalized with a grimace. Overall, he wanted to know where the author got this information and why this book exists. He also wanted to know why there's an extremely graphic picture of a Baphomet… doing… the thing in the corner of the page.

"So… a very interesting piece of literature, huh?" Akito asked with an amused snort. He remembered the first time he read the book as part of an investigation, he also had the same reaction as them all.

"...Is… is the information here… accurate?" Elt asked, his brow raised.

"Mostly, objectively we found it to be mostly accurate. If not a little biased." Akito noted with a shrug.

"I-I see…" Lucas continued, struggling to process the information he just read.

"...What the fuck was the author on when he wrote this?" Primera asked, brow raised.

"I question how it is he managed to get all this information, especially on how he learned that Baphomets have the most... pleasurable... you know..." Lucas muttered, trying his best to find a more formal euphemism for the author literally calling a vagina objectively the best. How does one even rank... that?

"What kind of land do we live in? Why are all our monsters sex-crazed maniacs?" Elt muttered with wide eyes. He already somewhat knew this to be the case, but reading this book showed him the extent of how far the rabbit hole went.

"Not all of them, some of them are actually pretty chill and Order approved... they're still pretty horny though," Akito muttered with a shrug.

"I'm now questioning what exactly lead this world to this point... where monsters would rather lay with men than slay them," Lucas muttered, genuinely curious. There had to be a reason behind this. After all, there was no way their species could simply have evolved naturally. An unnatural creation then, possibly by some God or something similar.

"It's said that they have witches as their subordinates. I think it's safe to assume that our target has a few witches in this city." Primera continued, trying her best to hide the blush and embarrassment on her face. She tried to get them back on the right track, and luckily it seemed to have worked.

"Indeed, in that case, if we find one of these witches we can get one step closer to finding her. I suggest we go check on what these witches are first before we do anything else. We're not allowed to bring anything out of this room after all." Lucas continued.

"Alright then, let's see what these witches are then..." Elt muttered before he turned the pages once more, trying to find where the witch section was.

Reading the article, they tried their best to ignore the more sexual content and focus on more relevant information.

"A Highly Powerful and Skilled Mage that takes the form of a child..." Lucas muttered, summarizing what they read minus the... sensual elements.

At that description did Akito, Elt, and Primera look on at Lucas. Sensing this, Lucas turned towards them with a confused look on his face.

"...What?" he muttered, confused as to why they were all staring at him for some reason.

'Wait... Oh... I see.' At the realization, his eyes furrow before he grumbled.

"I'm not a witch you fools, I'm obviously a male and have no desire to copulate!" He yelled out, somewhat insulted that he was being compared to these monsters.

"Sorry..." Elt muttered, Akito just gave a wry grin and Primera huffed in response.

"Nevertheless, this makes our task marginally harder. Especially since they could pose as any child here in Lescatie." Lucas muttered with a huff.

"If that's the case… then I think I might have an idea…" Elt muttered, cupping his chin in thought.

His eyes wandered to the page, particularly to the sabbath section. They often run a cult, therefore all they had to do was to find one of these cults, catch one of these witches and then get them to talk. If not, the Baphomet herself would be present during one of these so-called black masses.

With that, he told the others about his thoughts.

The others cupped their chins, looking on at one another before Lucas spoke up.

"That… does sound like a sound plan. But… there's a problem with that, there's no information within this book on how we'll find them." Lucas muttered.

"Well… I'm not exactly allowed to butt in, but… you might be in luck." Akito muttered.

"There's been talk that a Sabbath location has been discovered in the city. A raid's been scheduled." Akito noted, causing the group to turn their attention to him.

A Sabbath being discovered doesn't immediately mean a Baphomet. Some Sabbath locations are nothing more than branches run by witches who ultimately serve a Baphomet who operated outside of the nation. This doesn't make them any less dangerous however, for a den of witches is something that few would wish to face.

"All you have to do is to take the raid from the guy leading it… it's just that…" Akito muttered, his brow furrowing as he thought.

"But… what?" Elt asked.

"Well… the guy who's in charge of it is out of the city," Akito noted, causing Elt's brow to furrow.

"So we won't be able to take the job in time," Primera muttered.

"No, no. He should be arriving either today or tomorrow… it's just that… well, he's a bit difficult to deal with. Actually, no scratch that... he's a complete and utter pain in my fucking ass." Akito stated. Crudely mouthing off a few obscenities towards the man afterward.

"Why? Who is he?" Lucas asked.

Akito looked on at the ground, his eyes narrowing as he gritted his teeth. Out of everyone here, there was one Inquisitor he despised. And from the looks of things, that feeling was mutual.

And so, with a tone that was far more hostile than any he had shown before. He spoke…

"Inquisitor Albain Rejulia."


"Lord Ofnir." A voice called out.

"Ah, so you've returned." Gideon Ofnir stated, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the newest arrival.

They sat within a dimly lit room, a library containing various pieces of literature from across the lands they currently inhabited. Being known as the all-knowing, he endeavored to gain as much knowledge on this land as humanly possible.

As such, his current compendium had books on just about everything, from magic, history, science, theology, politics, and even a few books that would've got him killed should the wrong people find out. Well… Gideon would've loved to see them try.

He learned from his mistakes, and after his first bout with the Tarnished he has grown in strength considerably. He now knew his fair share of swordsmanship and had familiarized himself with the magic of these lands.

He looked upon the other figure in the room, a female from the sound of her voice. Though, with the armor, she wore it was difficult to discern her gender. She was a black knife assassin, once serviced by Queen Marika; one was loaned to him by the Golden Order for his goals.

"Report, give me everything you've learned," Gideon ordered.

Right now, his goal was simple. The observation of the Tarnished was given to someone else, but as long as he did not interfere directly then he would not be punished. He needed to learn what that brat was doing, and plan ahead in case anything were to occur.

"Of course, The Tarnished has now returned from the mission. He seems to have gotten closer with the Noscrim heir and is now currently with the Inquisition." She reported.

Sir Gideon's brow rose at that. The Inquisition she says… now… what could have happened for the Tarnished to be with them of all people.

"What were the circumstances that led to him being taken by the Inquisition?" He asked.

"He encountered a Baphomet along with the Hero Primera and an Inquisitor. Their battle appeared to be one-sided however, that was until he arrived…" the girl spoke.

With narrowed eyes, the man gestured for her to continue.

"He looked like a child no older than 12, and he used our land's sorceries." She muttered, her eyes slowly opening as Sir Gideon's own widened.

"Our land's sorceries, are you certain?" Sir Gideon asked, his eyes widened and tone questioning. With but a single nod, Sir Gideon pondered these prospects.

'Our sorceries, but he seemed to have aided the Tarnished. The Golden Order had strict orders to interfere no matter what the situation.' Sir Gideon pondered, his eyes narrowing before he figured out the most likely source.

'Ah… I see the Traitor Empyrean has made her move. In that case, I should report this to the Golden Order.' Sir Gideon thought. Easier said than done however, if he told the Golden Order directly then they would know that he was observing the Tarnished without their consent.

But reporting it should be redundant then. If his little spy knew, then the Observer sent to watch over him would've learnt as well. It was even possible that they knew before the assassin had found out.

In that case, there was no need to report. He would simply add this to his plans if need be.

"I see… so what are they doing now?" Sir Gideon asked.

"I am unsure, I was unable to follow them into fortress Maxim. The target's status is unknown." She spoke up.

"In that case, continue to monitor him from afar. Make sure that you remain undiscovered by any party. Take out anyone who learns, and leave no trail behind." Sir Gideon continued.

With a swift nod, the Assassin had vanished. Leaving Sir Gideon to his study. Looking back to his books, he gave a small sigh as he touched the helmet on his desk. He wasn't in their base of operations, he was back at his noble house's mansion.

His Influence in Lescatie was already wide, and with it making the transition from the False Order to the Golden Order should run smoothly. This phase of their takeover was already finished, the Golden Order had gained the loyalty and compliance of many notable individuals within Lescatie. Those who remain in the dark would be easily dealt with.

But… the arrival of the Tarnished and the subsequent arrival of this moonlit agent could complicate things. He suspected that with this development, the Two Fingers would take a more hands-on approach. Staying silent on the matter would no longer be beneficial.

"A Baphomet, huh?" he muttered.

So there was a Baphomet in the city. Usually, this would be cause for concern for those in the false Order, but he could use this to the Golden Order's benefit. That being said, he saw the situation as being somewhat volatile for now. Further observations are needed before a move could be made.

Especially since he suspected that the Inquisition would be making moves against their rivals soon. He supposed that he should use the fallout in order to further his own goals. It amused him if he had to be honest. In a way, he was witnessing Lescatie's incredibly broken system at play, a pitiful sight but one that brought him a great deal of amusement.

Lescatie was already like this when they arrived, it's what made infiltrating their society effortless in his opinion.

He smirked, amused at the prospect. The Tarnished has no idea what's coming.


Author's Notes:

Alright, this chapter's a little shorter than usual but I'm still satisfied with it.

The first scene here in this chapter actually took me a few tries to figure out. It was going to be a little shorter and Rylan would've accepted Akito's proposal. But then I realized that it wouldn't really make sense, so I had Lucas give Rylan an incentive to give them a week to find the Baphomet.

Next thing I want to talk about is the Inquisition. As you can see, The Inquisition was not explored at all in MGE. In fact, I think the only time I've ever heard it be mentioned was during one of the Fallen Brides Stories? I don't remember which one but it was just a one off statement so it's possible that they don't even exist in canon.

Nevertheless, because of that I've taken the liberty of giving my own take on the organization. I'm basing them mostly on the Inquisition and the Witch Hunters in Warhammer, with a few other Inspirations and my own take. If it wasn't clear, Fortress Maxim isn't an actual place in canon, it's one of my AU original type stuff that I brainrotted into existence here.

This chapter also set up a few things, mostly with Albain and the Golden Order. A bit of a warning before anything else, The Golden Order stuff won't come up until later, but much like Albain they'll be moving along in the background while the one-week game of Hide and Seek goes on.

In any case, don't really have much else to say. So as always, leave your reviews, criticisms, reactions, and complaints in the review section, my PMs are also free if you need it. With all that said and done,

Whamo out!